A two-tone wall application splits the stairwell horizontally, placing a grounding darker blue on the lower section and a light white on top. Measure up the wall parallel to the stair slope, establishing a continuous line at chair-rail height (approximately 36 inches above the stair nose). Apply painter’s tape along this line, painting the lower portion of the wall in a medium horizon blue shade and the upper section in a bright white. The darker blue on the lower wall effectively conceals scuffs, shoe marks, and handprints common in narrow staircases. The bright white upper section draws the eye upward toward the ceiling, creating an optical illusion of increased overhead clearance and enhanced room height.